This invention relates to the general field of painting devices and methods. More particularly, it relates to a device that facilitates the painting of ceilings that have sprinkler systems installed therein, and to the method of using such a device.
Water sprinkler systems installed in ceilings are in common use for fire protection. Such systems pose special problems, however, when the ceiling is to be painted. In particular, there is a problem with keeping paint from being applied to the protective and decorative rims (sometimes called "beauty rims") which surround the sprinkler heads. Typically, the protection of these rims while painting has required the laborious effort of taping over the beauty rims prior to painting, and then removing the tape after painting. A fairly recent innovation is the use of a hand-held, removable shield to cover the sprinklers. The use of this shield, however, requires the efforts of at least two people: one to hold the protective shield over each sprinkler rim, while the other paints the surrounding ceiling area. This "team" moves from sprinkler to sprinkler until the ceiling is painted. The shield used with this method is typically a cup-shaped device fixed to the end of a pole. This prior art device is similar to the "Door Knob Shield" disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,663 to Izzo, but with a much longer handle, allowing the user to reach the ceiling-mounted sprinkler while standing on the floor.
While the above-described prior art device can produce satisfactory results if skillfully used, it is inefficient, due to the need for an extra person just to handle the shield device.
There has thus been a long-felt, but as yet unsatisfied, need for some means to protect the sprinkler rims that eliminates the requirement for a separate shield-handler, thereby allowing the painter to work alone.